Chris Brookmyre scoops top crime novel award for Black Widow. The awards ceremony also saw Lee Child

Scottish author Chris Brookmyre has been named as the winner of a major crime-writing prize, beating renowned crime novelist Val McDermid to the accolade.

Brookmyre’s cyber-abuse effort Black Widow – which features his long-time character investigative detective Jack Parlabane – scooped the Theakston Old Peculier crime novel of the year award at the annual ceremony.

He was up against fellow Scottish writer McDermid for her 2016 novel Out Of Bounds, part of her Inspector Karen Pirie series, who previously won the title in 2006 and who last year won the ceremony’s top prize, the outstanding contribution to crime fiction award.

Brookmyre also fended off competition from his crime contemporaries Eva Dolan (After You Die), Sabine Durrant (Lie With Me), Mick Herron (Real Tigers) and Susie Steiner (Missing, Presumed).

The six shortlisted authors were chosen from a longlist of 18 British and Irish crime novels published in paperback between May 1 2016 and April 30 2017.

The Scottish scribe was presented with his award, which included a £3,000 cash prize, at the ceremony during the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate by broadcaster and author Mark Lawson and title sponsor Simon Theakston.

The event also saw a special presentation for Lee Child, the previously announced recipient of the eighth outstanding contribution to crime fiction award.